Just Geens Plantain Pancakes

Ingredients

·         1 and ¼ super ripe plantain, when I say super ripe I mean one that is dark brown/black in colour and squishy
·   1 egg
·         250 ml wheat flour
·         250 ml almond milk
·         1 tea spoon coconut oil
·         1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
·         2 tablespoons of honey
·         1 handful of blueberries

Instructions

1.       Mix your pancake ingredients together: eggs, wheat flour, almond milk, coconut oil, cinnamon and 1 plantain (you’ll use the remaining ¼ for your syrup), until you get a smooth thick paste. I used a blender because whisking the plantain would have taken ages.

2.       Now heat up whatever you love to cook your pancakes on. I used a non stick frying pan and added a teaspoon of coconut oil.

3.       Add a small amount of your pancake mix to the hot frying pan and cook until bubbles begin to appear in the batter then flip. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, depending how big you make them.  I find that wheat flour makes the pancakes fluffy and softer than normal pancakes, so it breaks a lot easier. I would suggest making the pancakes small. The smaller you make them, the easier they are to flip and not break apart.

4.       Make all your pancakes.

5.       Dice the left over plantain into small pieces and fry for about 2-3 minutes.

6.       Add 2 tablespoons of honey and a handful of blueberries to the diced plantain and let it simmer for a minute.

7.       Stack your pancakes and pour your syrup on top.

Bon Appétit

G

Baked Stuffed Plantains

Baked Stuffed Plantains

So I had some leftover plantain and mince from my Plantain Lasagna and decided to make some Baked Stuffed Plantains. 

I decided to make both a vegetarian and a meat based version, just to show you how versatile you can be with this recipe. 

To make this amazing dish you will need: 

Vegetarian Ingredients 

-1 Ripe Plantain 

-½ Small Onion Chopped

-1 Green Pepper 

-1 Yellow Pepper

-1 Red Pepper 

-½ tea spoon of mixed herbs

-1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil 

-Salt and pepper as needed

Instructions

-Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 

-Line oven tray with foil and coat with coconut oil.

-Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain and remove plantain peel by pulling off the

skin.

-Place the plantain on the tray and bake for about 15 minutes each side or until the plantain is golden brown. 

-While the plantain is baking, add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a saucepan, followed by the onions and peppers. 

-Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes, add your  mixed herbs and season to taste.

-Remove the plantain from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. 

-Make a horizontal slit in the plantain and then stuff with the pepper mixture.

Mince Version

Ingredients

-1 ripe plantains

-2 tablespoon coconut oil

-½ pound lean mince

-½ medium onion chopped

-1 teaspoon minced garlic

-1 tin of chopped tomatoes

-Season to taste 

Instructions

-Use the same instructions as above in relation to baking the plantain.

-While the plantain is baking, add 2 tablespoon of oil to a sauce pan, followed by onions, garlic and your chopped tomato. 

-Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently and add about ½ cup of water if needed.

-Add the lean mince to the sauce, seasoning to your taste and continue cooking for about 15 minutes.

-Remove the plantain from the oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes.

-Make a horizontal slit in the plantain and stuff it with the mince mixture. 

And there you have it, Stuffed Baked Plantain.

Happy Eating

G 

Quinoa Jollof

I’ve always been an advocate for African food. When I decided to make 'healthy eating' part of my lifestyle, it was my mission to still eat the foods I enjoyed but just to find healthier alternatives.

Jollof Rice is one of my favourite dishes. Being Ghanaian, its something I grew up eating every week. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jollof Rice, it is a combination of white rice, tomato, onions, scotch bonnet, seasoning and some form of animal protein (chicken or beef).

I decided to get creative and replaced white rice with Quinoa. 

For this delicious dish, you will need:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp coconut oil

1 large onions, sliced

2 x 400g cans plum tomatoes

1 red pepper, diced

4 tbsp tomato purée

¼ tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder

1 scotch bonnett

1 tsp curry powder

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme

1 stock cube

2 cups of quinoa

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups of water

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

Method

-Heat the oil in your pot and add the onions.

-Blend the peppers, tomatoes,  ginger and 1 cup of water to form a smooth mixture.

-Add the smooth mixture to the pot, along with the seasoning.

-Stir and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

-Once the sauce turns into a thick mixture, add the quinoa, stirring it well on a low heat. Let it cook for about 20 minutes.

-To tell whether it's cooked, you want the sauce to be fully absorbed by the quinoa.

Happy Eating 

G

Lita Lewis & Simeon Panda's UK Bootcamp

Saturday 27th September 2014 was an amazing day!!!! I had the pleasure of being put through a workout by two of the most amazing fitness icons @simeonpanda and @litalewis.

The bootcamp took place in Clapham Common park at 10:30 am.

Before the session, we were given a brief introduction as to what the session entailed. The rules of the session were that every routine was completed twice and you were not allowed to stand still throughout the session- the recovery position had to be active e.g bouncing on your toes.

The session lasted for about an hour and consisted of a range of high intensity plyometric exercises. If anyone had a #LegDay the day before, they were definitely feeling the burn. 

The session was followed by prize giveaways, a photo session and a 30 minute question and answer session. 

Overall, the event was amazing. It felt so good to be in the presence of like minded individuals who shared the same passion I did. I was so taken back by how humble Simeon and Lita were. They were extremely friendly and willing to answer any questions anyone had.  

It made me fall in love with fitness all over again and I can only hope to be as inspiring as them in the future. 

Im not sure when the next event will be but I will definitely let you guys know.

If you attended the event, let me know how you found it by leaving your comments below. 

G 

Highlights from Just Geens Funday

What can you expect at Just Geens Funday

 

 

Just Geens Funday is back this year, boys and girls.

 

Date: Sunday 17th of August 2014

 

Venue: Play on Sports, 100 Preston's Road, Wood Wharf Business Park, Wood Wharf, London E14 9SB

 

 

Time: 3:00pm – 8:00pm (Football tournament starts at 3pm PROMPT)

 

Activities on the day include:

 

5 a side football tournament

 

• Netball
• Relays
• Tug of war
• Egg & spoon race
• Potato sack race
• 3 legged race
• Fitness challenges (push ups, pull ups etc)

 

And much more….

 

 

So what’s different this year?

 

Well, we wanted to make the event more child-friendly this year, so kids are free up to the age of 11. A bouncy castle will also be provided by Little Kings Castle and candy floss and sweets will be provided  by Candy-N-Pop. Don’t worry; it’s not just for the kids, so adults can get a good bounce too.

 

We’ve also added netball to the events list, for the ladies. There is no need to enter a team beforehand. Just arrive on the day in your training gear and teams will be selected then.

 

In terms of prizes and giveaways, we have a lot more to offer this year. Not only will the football tournament winners get a trophy and medals, but Nike has kindly provided us with a few gifts to giveaway. The winning team members will also get tickets to watch a London Lions basketball match. The most valuable player (MVP) will get a free football t-shirt and a gift voucher worth £150. Thank you Nike!!!

 

Ladies, we haven’t forgotten about you either. Honey Hand salon has offered one of our lucky event winners a free weave installation. Their weave installations start from £60, so this is definitely a prize not to miss out on.

 

My favourite restaurant in the whole wide world, Leon Restaurant, has provided us with several meal vouchers, which will be part of the raffle prizes and also awarded to winners of events on the day. If you’ve never heard of Leon Restaurant before, you should definitely check it out. It is a fast food restaurant that serves healthy food that tastes good.

 

Speaking of food, I have also decided to enter a free week’s meal prep into the raffle. My Meal preps start from £75; so again, this is definitely not a prize to be missed.

 

Drinks have been provided by Chi Coconut Water, Pure Bliss Cleanse and Fruvejuwhich should keep all participants hydrated during their events and all spectators hydrated during their cheering session. Remember, you don’t have to participate in the events. You can just spectate, eat some good food and have a good time.

 

This year, Bespoke Bites has promised us a wide selection of baked goodies,  such as vegan, protein and gluten free cupcakes.  We should also have some guilt free pleasures from Metcalfe's Skinny range. 

 

Just like last year, food will be provided by Just Geens Kitchen, which means it will mainly be healthy but delicious. Unfortunately, food is not free this year. Food tokens will be available for purchase on the day. There will be a mixture of foods from jerk chicken, burgers, hot dogs, sweet potato wedges, grilled plantain, quinao salad, potato salad, coleslaw, salad, prawn skewers, corn on the cob and maybe even my famous plantain lasagne. The food will cater to all- carnivores, pesceterians, vegetarians and vegans, so there will be something for everyone.

 

You can definitely expect to hear DJ Neptizzle and DJ Jammy D on the decks again. Photography will be taken by Samuel Falusi and video recording by Photoboy.

This is just some of the amazing things you can expect this year. Obviously, I can’t tell you everything, otherwise you won’t come lol.

 

So don’t miss out on the Fun Day of the year. To register your football team, please email thepeoplescup@outlook.com. To purchase your tickets please call07565723515 or go tohttp://shoobs.com/events/4183/just-geen-s-funday-2.

 

G

Just Geens Fresh Fruit Popsicle

Fresh Fruit Popsicle

So today is officially the first day of summer. 

What better way to enjoy the day than by having a perfect healthy fresh fruit popsicle. 

It's soooooo easy to make. All you need is fruits and your favourite juice. 

I've used 3 ingredients: blueberries, strawberries and coconut water. 

It’s the perfect way to eat fruit in summer and it’s also so refreshing. 

It’s a healthier alternative to store bough popsicles (they are full of sugar, additives and preservatives) and this version is 100% natural. 

If you don’t like coconut water, strawberries or blueberries, don’t worry! You can use the fruits and the juices you like.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups coconut water (500 ml)

½ cup blueberries (70 grams)

8 strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the blueberries and sliced strawberries in the molds and pour enough coconut water into each mold to just cover fruit. 

Freeze until solid (at least for 4 hours).

For the mold to easily loosen, rinse with lukewarm water.

Happy summer ! 

G